Jenn963

congrats!! you're wedding date will be here before you know it! what are you working on right now? I'm assuming you have your dress picked out!?

does anyone know if, for the PRIVATE reception dinner, they provide table and chair covers? sashes? any decor whatsoever? (i'm pretty sure i'll be goin with the silver symbolic package)....I asked Carolina and she said "standard tables and chairs" used for the restaurant....and I also asked if we can bring our own centerpieces and she said there's an extra charge for that? :S I dont understand. So if anyone knows, how much is it for chair and table covers and if we bring our own decor, do they seriously charge you (i guess to set it up)? also, for the silver package, do we have to pay for a mic and speakers extra or does that come with the package?

Hi Bride2B1130, do you have your photographer yet??

are you serious!!? that's terrible! there has to be a way to avoid that....either way though....you can still say she is a family friend that happens to be doin your photos and just pay the $60 day pass.....$500 is a RIDICULOUS fee......perhaps if you speak to management...someone of higher authority than Carolina. I thought the $500 fee was ONLY for their local Punta Cana photographers

oh i get it...$60 is the day/night pass that you're paying for the photographer from Ottawa (who is already in Punta Cana just at a different resort right?). The $500 fee i'm talkin about is if we go and choose another local punta cana photographer (i.e Caribbean Emotions/HDC/etc). it's crazy. But what can you do...hotel policy. Anyway, I'm goin to hunt down a photographer like yours that is already down there and see what I can do Thank you Jen!

thanks so much Jen!! I got them and briefly looked at them through my iPhone.. but haven't had the time to actually open them on my computer but I will now!! thanks a bunch! you must be soooooo excited!! One month left!

I'm totally up for that idea eberry!! Let me know which photographer you're looking at...email is [email protected]

u are amazing!! lol so persistent..i like that! if you dont' mind, would you PLEASE send me pictures of the reception dinner (where the private dinner is) please....i'm now wondering if we pay $1000 for the private dinner and it's ours from 630-12am...maybe we should stick with the reception AND party at the restaurant as opposed to a private beach party? i dont know. My soon-to-be hubby wants to see the restaurant first and then decide also, do you have pictures of the bouquets (for the symbolic silver package u chose) for bride? my email is [email protected] oh and i have more questions about your photographer......that's my issue rite now....i dont want to go with Photoshop Caribe they aren't the greatest....Carolina is not budging on waiving or lowering this $500 to bring an outside photographer so i may have to bring my own Email me please and THANK you! (i'm sure i speak on behalf of other 2013 brides )

oh nice! lucky u!! thanks anyway

Hey Melissa! Can you tell me who you used as your photographer and/or videographer? And how did they do?

this is random...lol but...i'm quite upset (and a tad jealous) that there are a bunch of facebook pages for brides at other resorts (see "majestic Colonial Brides" or "Dreams Punta Cana Brides") and NOTHING for the Grand Palladium

This week I am trying to figure out who my photographer/videographer will be...this will be quite a task I'm sure. I also would like to join a gym hopefully and find some motivation to go lol. I was thinking of starting on my OOT bags but I think I'll do that more down the road....however, if i do see things on sale, of course I'll buy and start collecting here n there.

oh really? I wasn't told that....I asked Carolina if there's any way around this high fee but she said that is the policy for the hotel..but she did not mention that if we book an outside photographer and have him stay at the hotel a couple of nights, they'd wave it...i'll probably email her about that :/.....but I think that way, it will be more pricey.. the friend we had in mind to do our photography cannot make it unfortunately so we are stuck with having to book a photographer there in Punta Cana. yes 9 months to go..but i feel as though they will FLY BY!!!

Hey motoroats congrats....I was told the beach party is just $15/pp for open bar and then $300 for the DJ....and i was also given a $550 price for dj/mc/mic/speakers/audio system and robotic lights i believe.........i dont think there;s a min or max on this cuz it's just $15 pp so it depends on how many guests u have. And yes...for any of the of the packages (other than the silver one), it only includes 8 people, so guests over that amount is $20 pp. I haven't heard of the color limitations for each package but i think that's something I'll look into later down the road. hope this helps

Hi Fabiola you're gettin married Dec 2013? exciting! and congrats! I went through Marlin Travel and i was able to get a 7-night all inclusive price of $1158 (Tax in) for adults (double occupancy) and $772 all incl for kids....i dont know, but i think this is pretty good...and hoping the price tag will entice people to book ASAP! We are invited about 70 people, even people from south america, Alberta and Florida....so i'm waiting on those quotes from my travel agent. I hope you get something soon!

they look lovely!!! My passport invites are being printed...cannot wait to see the end result!!! what size is your passport? We used a 3.5x5 template and when I went to look for envelopes and physically held a 4x5.5 envelope in my hand, i thought "gosh the passports are gonna be TINY!" So i hope they don't look ridiculously small :S

I don't get it....I read other brides' packages are "crystal" or "diamond" or something...is this ONLY for legal weddings? Does anyone know? because I'm having a symbolic wedding and the PDF file that Carolina sent me has "Silver package", "Pure Paradise", "Waves of Love", "Ocean Pearl", "Tropical Promise", and "simple stunning signature." So I guess it's different depending on the type of ceremony ur having? The least expensive one of the ones i;ve mentioned is the Silver one goin for $690US but it doesn't include nearly as much extras as the other ones, so i will have to sit down and compare...... I got my confirmation finally from Carolina for Nov 8th at 3pm.....now what? lol will we not email until later this year? She hasn't emailed me anything else....i guess there's plenty of time for the details.....I wish she had an assistant....oh wait, she does....I wish she had an assistant's assistant.....lol. She seems so super busy and every time i email her and she replies, it seems like it's all copy and paste type answers. lol

lol. Welll when u put it on a 30 year term it doesn't seem all that bad huh? LOL Yes it was Carolina who emailed me this .....but I think I will email her today and ask if there's anything else we can do....

November 8th 2013 congratsss how exciting! I hope you come back on this forum after everything has settled in and post some pics and ur experience!!!

Ya i had issues with a wedding specialist company....Absolute Wedsite....they were so very disorganized and I didn't feel like it was going to be a good next few months if i stuck with them....those companies probably have sooo many weddings at a time that you're basically just another number....I didn't want to feel this way so I cancelled with them, lost a small deposit, but saved myself the hassle of dealing with them. Either way, I found an amazing travel agent and i already am in contact with Carolina so I'm more "hands on" this way I feel.....I have read that the booking part is the most stressful but after that it's a breeze So good luck to you and hope it all works out!! And I think you misunderstood me...i'm not goin to GPPC next month lol...i WISH but I can't. We aren't leaving till NOV 4 and we are stayin there for the whole week. Luckily, I got my wedding date confirmed 4 days AFTER we arrive so I have those days to run around and look at florists and get tips from other brides who have their weddings there before me (*WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE*) I have not booked a photographer but this will probably be my next task after invitations are sent out! carolina emailed me saying they charge $500 for an outside punta cana photographer/videographer...so it's either i bring my own family/friend who does photography or i use their in-house guy....i have to check their work out.... OOT bags...no....i'm not doin one but i think i should because i have a few things in mind I already wanna buy (flip flops, custom labelled mugs, sunscreen, fans, etc).....I will have to check with the mister for a budget on that LOL I"M SOOOO EXCITED!!!!!

Booked for November 4-11, 2013 Grand Palladium Punta Cana! Invitations are at the printer and HOPEFULLY will be done by this week so I can send out next week ! I will finally be able to breathe once they are out and in the mail! *sigh* I hopeeee people are cooperative and rsvp as they should and by the due date!!! I can already see this being a frustrating process but I'm hoping for the best! I sent out 45 save the dates (one per household) askin everyone for their full mailing addresses and I only got about 15 people actually sending them to me. The other 20, I had to hunt down and remind them. and the other 10, I honestly am just gonna tak it as "they're not interested"....to each his own I say! At least they're saving me POSTAGE! LOL

hey Jessica, check this link...there's a bride (user name jenmheadrick) that's gettin married in April... http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/14643/married-or-going-to-be-married-at-grand-palladium-punta-cana/2670#post_1864618

Hey ladies. I am only in the beginning process of planning my DW and am looking around for photographers however, my WC (Grand Palladium Punta Cana) emailed me suggesting their "in-house" photographer: Photoshop Caribe I believe it was. Otherwise, if we choose to bring another photo/videographer from Punta Cana (I.e caribbean emotions/Photo Souvenir I'm assuming) it would cost $500 US to the hotel for EACH videographer AND photographer for the "day pass" .....From my understanding, the $500 fee is to the hotel, so that means I would have to pay my outside photographer AND video grapher AND that fee!?? Does anyone find that a little extreme?? That's ALOT of money just to have an outside photographer come in :S Is there any way around this....because from the forum here, Photo Souvenir seems to be great and Photoshop Caribe, not so much....

I started off with ABSOLUTE WEDSITE at first....put a small deposit down and thank GOD it was only $100 because I would have lost more. It could be a better experience for someone else, but in MY opinion, they are SUPER unreliable and slow, and a disorganized mess! I DO NOT recommend them for ANYONE. The stories I have I tell ya.....from the owner down to the agent. smh. (Ok venting done). I cancelled with them, and went with a Marlin Travel agent who has been AMAZING. I will surely book with him from now on when I plan to travel. He got me an amazing quote/deal for my guests and what I love most is his professionalism and he's super quick to get back to me.

hey eberry! awww this is awesome!! so we'll prolly run into each other as we will be arriving November 4th.....the wedding date is still pending on confirmation but Carolina gave us Nov 8th at 4pm and I sent her the agreement form and hoping she will change the time to 3pm instead of 4...just cuz I think 4 is too late to do pictures (depending on when the sun sets at that time of year in DR). I want sunny bright pics, not sunset ones. But whatever I get, I'll be happy. I originally went thru a wedding specialist company called AbsoluteWedsite. But this week I cancelled with them (long story that will turn into venting lol) and booked with marlin travel (SO much happier). wow so 33 people confirmed huh! how many people did you invite in total? and how long ago did you send out your invitations? I'm gettin a bit concerned because we are now goin into Feb and I STILL haven't even confirmed a date....I sent an email to Carolina this morning to confirm the date (I know and understand she takes a couple days to reply) so that i can ship my invitations to the printer. I already have the design and everything I just need to plug in the info....So by the time my guests get their invitations it'll probably be mid Feb!! and that only leaves them with one month to soak it all in and make their first deposit (end of march)....*sigh* patience, patience lol How's Luxe Destination? I've seen their ads everywhere lately! Are you being well taken care of with them? You'll def be hearing from me for the next few months!! i'm so glad i found this website!